Kudgel: Sea Monkee Plus Seven

Kudgel

Sea Monkee Plus Seven

Midriff Records is proud to release Sea Monkee Plus Seven, a re-issue of one of the seminal bands of Boston’s music scene, Kudgel. Formed in 1989 by Mark Erdody, Kudgel became one of Beantown’s most beloved and cherished secrets, embodying, along with The Swirlies, what came to be known as ‘chimp rock’: spastic and overblown-guitar driven noise-pop, infused with a bubblegum sensibility that belied the complexity of their song structure.

Kudgel’s tenure as a functioning band was appropriately enough brief and tumultuous. The band went through three major lineup changes (although Erdody always remained as the principal songwriter), a disillusioning tour of the states and several hard-wrought self-released recordings, sharing the stage along the way with Pavement, The Jesus Lizard, Rodan, Gumball, and Six Finger Satellite.

Originally released in 1994 as a 10′ vinyl, Sea Monkee was recorded in two sessions with Boston studio aficionado Darron Burke, and with Bob Weston at Steve Albini’s Chicago home during Kudgel’s April 1993 tour of the states. It would be Kudgel’s penultimate release, done on a friend’s 100 Breakfast imprint. Shortly after, Kudgel released a 7″ split single with another local Boston band before breaking up in November ’94.

Since their disbanding, Kudgel has reunited three times to perform at benefit shows for Boston musicians. At the most recent, 2004′s Bartley’s Choice Benefit, members of The Beatings proposed to Erdody the idea of re-issuing a Kudgel album on Midriff Records. The idea went through various permutations and procrastination until Erdody mailed in the re-mastered Sea Monkee and seven previously unreleased tracks. The project went ahead full steam.
Releasing Sea Monkee Plus Seven has been a labor of love, but for Midriff Records it is also something more important: recognizing a seminal and quintessential Boston band, and a recording we feel is a prerequisite for anyone interested in the musical history of a unique and storied city. We hope this release will introduce Kudgel to a new generation of fans who will find them as rewarding and endearing as we do.